Road finisher with automatic engine controller

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a self-propelling machine for processing bituminous or concrete pavement material, in particular a road finisher or a feeder. The machine comprises an internal combustion engine as a primary drive source, a controller for the engine, said controller receiving control signals, at least one additional drive unit for functional and operational components of the machine as well as at least one hydraulic circuit comprising a hydraulic medium reservoir. The invention is characterized in that the controller is configured for automatically causing starting and/or stopping of the engine in response to receipt of at least one specific control signal.

The present invention relates to a self-propelling machine forprocessing bituminous or concrete pavement material. The self-propellingmachine may be a road finisher.

Road finishers are known e.g. from the following publications: DE 202007 003 326 U1, DE 20 2004 016 489 U1, DE 10 2004 002 658 A1, DE 299 23118 U1, DE 299 20 556 U1, DE 299 15 875 U1, DE 296 12 035 U1, DE 296 12034 U1 or DE 196 34 503 B4. Such road finishers can be driven by awheel-type running gear, as described in DE 299 20 556 U1, or by atracked running gear, as described in DE 299 23 118 U1. They arenormally provided with a material bunker for accommodating the pavementmix which will form the road surface. With the aid of conveying means,e.g. scraper belts, the pavement mix is conveyed from the materialbunker to the area of the road finisher located at the rear when seen inthe direction of travel. In this rear area, the pavement mix supplied isdistributed across the whole laying width, normally by means of alateral distributor, e.g. an auger. Finally, the road finisher alsocarries a so-called screed, which is arranged behind the lateraldistributor when seen in the direction of travel. It is used forsmoothing and compacting the paving material applied, and, to this end,it may be provided with tampers, vibrating screed plates and/or pressurebars, by way of example.

Road finishers are driven by means of an engine, which is normally aninternal combustion engine. In most cases, diesel engines are used. Inaddition to the driving power, the engine also provides power foroperating a generator by means of which current is generated foroperating a large number of components of the finisher. The current can,for example, be used for operating the lighting, the control, pumps forhydraulic components and, in particular, electric heating units. Suchheating units are normally provided at all the components which comeinto contact with the pavement mix so as to prevent the latter fromcooling down and solidifying on the components of the road finisher.Electric heating elements are especially provided on the screed, sincethis is the location of the road finisher where the strongest decreasein the temperature of the pavement mix has already occurred.

Due to its weight and the large number of driven components, and alsodue to the necessity of operating the heating elements, the amount offuel consumed by a road finisher is comparatively large. In view of therising energy prices, there is a significant rise in the contribution ofthe energy costs to the total operational costs of a road finisher. A 10to 20% reduction of the amount of fuel consumed would already save, peryear, several thousand liters of the fuel required for operating a roadfinisher. This would not only be beneficial to the environment but itwould also reduce the operational costs of a road finisher to asignificant extent.

It is therefore the object of the present invention to reduce the amountof fuel consumed by a road finisher with the aid of means having thesimplest possible structural design.

According to the present invention, this object is achieved by aself-propelling machine, e.g. a road finisher for processing bituminousor concrete pavement material including an internal combustion engine asa primary drive source, a controller for the engine, the controllerreceiving control signals, at least one pump drive unit, hydraulic-motordrive unit or hydrostatic drive unit for functional and operationalcomponents of the machine, and at least one hydraulic circuit comprisinga hydraulic medium reservoir. Advantageous further developments of theinvention are also disclosed below.

According to the present invention, the controller of the road finisheris configured for automatically causing starting and/or stopping of theengine in response to receipt of at least one specific control signal.According to the present invention, the controller of the road finisheris thus provided with an automatic start device, an automatic stopdevice or even an automatic start/stop device. This allows the engine tobe stopped when specific operating conditions of the road finisher occurand/or it allows the engine to be restarted when other specificoperating conditions occur. The fact that the engine is stopped duringspecific operating phases leads to a substantial reduction in theoverall amount of fuel consumed. The automatic starting and/or stoppingof the engine offers two additional advantages in comparison with manualstarting or stopping: on the one hand, the operating phases allowing adeactivation of the engine are utilized in the best possible manner foraccomplishing also a maximum reduction in the amount of fuel consumed.On the other hand, it is not necessary that the operator of the roadfinisher constantly checks the operating conditions allowing adeactivation of the engine. It follows that the handling of the roadfinisher will not be impaired in comparison with conventional roadfinishers.

According to a preferred embodiment, the road finisher is provided witha pushbutton for generating a start-control signal and a stop-controlsignal, so as to allow the road finisher to be operated in aconventional way. In addition, it is provided with at least one sensorfor generating a control signal. This allows an automatic recognition ofspecific operating conditions of the road finisher, and the subsequentautomatic starting and/or stopping of the engine. It is not necessarythat the sensor itself is directly configured for generating a controlsignal, but it may also be configured such that it only transmits ameasured variable to an evaluation circuit or an evaluation logic unit,which, in turn, generates the control signal for the engine controller.

It will be expedient when the sensor is a temperature sensor. This meansthat, depending on the temperature of specific components of the roadfinisher, the engine can be started and/or stopped. This is of interestespecially for operating conditions in which the engine power is usedexclusively or almost exclusively for the purpose of heating specificcomponents of the road finisher. When it is recognized in such anoperating condition that further heating is not necessary, the enginecan be stopped according to the present invention. It is thus possibleto save a substantial amount of fuel in comparison with the conventionaldeactivation of only the heating elements and the continued operation ofthe engine at the idling speed.

Such a temperature sensor may in particular be configured for measuringthe temperature of a screed of the road finisher, or of a part of saidscreed (e.g. a basic screed, an extendible screed, etc.). Most of theheating power of the road finisher is normally required for the screed.It is, however, not necessary to heat the screed continuously, butheating is only required if the screed temperature dropped below apredetermined threshold. In conventional road finishers only the heatingelements were deactivated, whereas the diesel engine continued tooperate, as soon as a higher temperature threshold was exceeded. Makinguse of the present invention, it is now possible that the temperaturesensor of the screed transmits a control signal (where appropriate, viaa suitable evaluation circuit), in response to receipt of which thecontroller will cause a deactivation of the engine. Only when thetemperature of the screed drops below a predetermined threshold, theengine will automatically be restarted so as to drive the generator andprovide thus the electric power for operating the electric heatingelements.

According to one variant of the present invention, a timer is providedfor generating a control signal for the engine controller. Making use ofthis timer, it is possible to automatically start and/or stop the roadfinisher when predetermined time intervals have expired after specificevents.

According to an extremely advantageous variant of the present invention,the road finisher comprises a localization and/or navigation system.This localization and/or navigation system can improve the operation ofthe road finisher in many ways. When the localization measurement iscarried out with adequate precision, said localization and/or navigationsystem may perhaps allow a fully automatic operation of the roadfinisher.

According to a preferred embodiment, the localization and/or navigationsystem is so conceived that it is infrared-transmitter-, radio- orsatellite-based. All these variants allow a precise, wirelesslocalization and navigation of the road finisher.

It will be particularly advantageous when the localization and/ornavigation system is configured for generating a control signal for thecontroller. In this way, the localization and/or navigation system ofthe road finisher according to the present invention will not only beable to allow localization and orientation of the road finisher, but itwill also be able to cause, through the controller, starting and/orstopping of the engine, when specific operating conditions and ambientconditions exist.

The localization and/or navigation system may, for example, communicatewith means for ascertaining the current distance to and/or an expectedtime of arrival of some other road works vehicle. This other road worksvehicle may e.g. be a truck delivering pavement mix which is to be fedto the road finisher. When the road finisher and the other road worksvehicle are each provided with a suitable, compatible localizationand/or navigation system, the controller of the road finisher will beable to query the current position of the other road works vehicle andcalculate from the current distance the expected time of arrival of theapproaching road works vehicle. When the engine controller isadditionally provided with a clock or a timer, the engine of the roadfinisher can be started at a suitable moment, so that the screed and theother heated components of the road finisher will have reached thenecessary operating temperature precisely when the other road worksvehicle arrives. Prior to the heating phase, which is rendered as shortas possible in this way, the engine of the road finisher according tothe present invention can remain deactivated and substantial amounts offuel can be saved in this way. Against this background, it will beexpedient when the means for ascertaining the current distance to and/oran expected time of arrival of some other road works vehicle isconfigured for generating a control signal for the engine controller.

According to a preferred embodiment, the road finisher according to thepresent invention comprises a starting device for starting the engine inresponse to receipt of a respective control signal, said starting devicebeing e.g. a starter motor, an engine-generator unit (whereby it will nolonger be necessary to use a starter motor and a dynamo), a hydraulicstarter making use of an accumulator or the like. In this way, theengine controller can start the engine automatically by transmitting thecontrol signal to the starting device.

In this respect, it will be advantageous when a battery is additionallyprovided so as to be able to supply the starting device with energy alsoin the deactivated condition of the engine.

In the following, an advantageous embodiment of the present inventionwill be described in more detail making reference to a drawing.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a road finisher 1 according to the presentinvention as an example of a self-propelling machine according to theinvention.

The road finisher 1 is provided with a chassis 2 having arranged thereonthe control station 3 of the road finisher 1. The road finisher 1 ismovable by means of a running gear 4, which is in the present case awheel-type running gear 4 with wheels 5. The running gear 4 is driven bymeans of a diesel engine 6 mounted on the chassis 2 and connected to agenerator (not shown) so as to produce electric voltage.

The road finisher 1 additionally comprises a material bunker 7 foraccommodating pavement mix, a conveying device (not shown) for conveyingthe pavement mix from the material bunker 7, underneath the controlstation 3, to the rear area of the road finisher, and a lateraldistributor 8, e.g. an auger, for distributing the pavement mix acrossthe whole laying width in a direction at right angles to the directionof travel of the road finisher 1. The screed 10 is supported on the roadfinisher 1 on a beam 9 which is adapted to be hydraulically pivoted upand down. It is used for compacting and smoothing the pavement mixdischarged.

The road finisher 1 is additionally provided with at least one pump,hydraulic-motor or hydrostatic drive unit (not shown) for functional andoperational components of the machine, and with at least one hydrauliccircuit comprising a hydraulic medium reservoir.

The road finisher 1 additionally comprises a controller 11 which isconfigured for automatically causing starting and/or stopping of theengine 6 in response to receipt of at least one control signal. Forstarting the engine 6, a starting device 12, e.g. a starter motor, isprovided, which is supplied with electric power via a an energy store,e.g. a battery 13, independently of the operating condition of thediesel engine 6 and of the generator (not shown). The energy store, e.g.the battery 13, can be charged when the generator is in operation.

Alternatively, the starting device 12 could be a motor-generator unit ora hydraulic starter comprising an accumulator as an energy store.

The controller 11 communicates with a temperature sensor 14 on thescreed 10 in a wireless or wire-bound fashion. The temperature sensor 14measures the temperature of the screed 10. It can transmit a controlsignal to the controller 11, if the temperature of the screed shouldexceed or fall below predetermined temperature thresholds.

The engine controller 11 is additionally provided with a localizationand navigation system 15. This localization and navigation system 15 issatellite-based (e.g. via GPS) and serves to identify the currentposition of the road finisher 1. In the present case, it is alsoconfigured for communication with a compatible localization andnavigation system of some other road works vehicle, e.g. a truck fordelivering the pavement mix. The localization and navigation system 15of the road finisher 1 is able to ascertain the current position of andthe distance to the other road works vehicle and, by means of suitableprocesses, it is able to calculate the expected time of arrival of theother road works vehicle at the road finisher 1. This calculation of theexpected time of arrival can be executed in the controller 11.

Operation of the road finisher 1 according to the present invention cantake place as described in the following.

In a stand-by mode, the road finisher 1 is stationary at some site andwaits for the pavement mix and/or for a signal that the laying operationshould begin. In order to be able to start the laying operation as soonas possible, all the heated parts, in particular the screed 10, aremaintained at the temperature required for pavement laying by operatingthe heating elements provided for this purpose. As soon as thetemperature sensor 14 provided on the screed 10 (or a furthertemperature sensor provided on other heated components of the roadfinisher 1) recognizes that a predetermined temperature threshold, whichmakes further heating superfluous, has been exceeded, the sensor 14 willreport this through a respective control signal to the engine controller11. The engine controller 11 will then take care that the diesel engine6 is stopped, since the power of the latter is neither required as adriving power for propelling the road finisher nor is it required foroperating the heating elements.

The temperature of the screed 10 will then decrease slowly. When thetemperature sensor 14 recognizes that the temperature has fallen below apredetermined threshold, it will report this to the engine controller 11through another control signal. The engine controller 11 will then causeautomatic starting of the engine 6 by means of the starting device 12,e.g. the starter motor, so that the engine 6 can operate the generatorand provide thus the electric power for the heating elements. Theautomatic starting and stopping of the engine 6 during the coolingphases of the screed 10 will save a substantial amount of fuel.

In another situation, the road finisher 1 waits for the arrival of atruck carrying the pavement mix. In this condition, the diesel engine 6remains deactivated so that no fuel will be consumed. The layingoperation should, however, begin as immediately as possible afterdelivery of the pavement mix.

By means of the localization and navigation system 15, the road finisher1 is able to identify the current position of the approaching truck soas to determine therefrom the expected time of arrival of the pavementmix. The controller 11 has stored therein information indicating howmuch time will be necessary for heating the screed 10 to its operatingtemperature. This enables the controller 11 to start the diesel engine 6at a suitable moment so that the necessary operating temperature willprecisely be reached when the truck arrives. Unnecessarily long heatingphases are avoided in this way, and it is also possible to start thelaying operation immediately after receipt of the pavement mix.

Taking as a basis the embodiment shown, the road finisher 1 according tothe present invention can be modified in many ways. For example,additional sensors may be provided for monitoring specific operatingconditions of various components of the road finisher 1, which make itappear advisable to start and/or stop the engine 6.

1. A self-propelling machine for processing bituminous or concretepavement material, comprising an internal combustion engine as a primarydrive source for propelling the machine, a controller for the engine,said controller receiving control signals, at least one pump drive unit,hydraulic-motor drive unit or hydrostatic drive unit for functional andoperational components of the machine, and at least one hydrauliccircuit comprising a hydraulic medium reservoir, wherein theself-propelling machine comprises a localization and/or navigationsystem, which localization and/or navigation system is configured forgenerating a control signal for the controller, wherein the controlleris configured for automatically causing starting and/or stopping of theengine in response to receipt of at least one specific control signal.2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein at least one sensor isprovided for generating a control signal.
 3. A machine according toclaim 2, wherein the sensor is a temperature sensor.
 4. A machineaccording to claim 3, wherein the temperature sensor is configured formeasuring the temperature of a screed of the road finisher. 5.(canceled)
 6. (canceled)
 7. A machine according to claim 1, wherein thelocalization and/or navigation system is infrared-transmitter, radio orsatellite-based.
 8. (canceled)
 9. A machine according to claim 1,including in combination with the localization and/or navigation system,means are provided for ascertaining the current distance to and/or anexpected time of arrival of some other road works vehicle.
 10. A machineaccording to claim 9, wherein said means are configured for generating acontrol signal for the controller.
 11. A machine according to claim 1,including a starting device for starting the engine in response toreceipt of a respective control signal.
 12. A machine according to claim11, including an energy store is provided for supplying the startingdevice with energy also in the deactivated condition of the engine. 13.A machine according to claim 12, wherein the energy store comprises abattery.
 14. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the self-propellingmachine is a road finisher or a feeder for a road finisher.